Find food health and safety info from your phoneAlternet - 3/19/2009.By Tim Kingston – Consumers, health conscious or not, have a right to be paranoid. What's to be done? Try GoodGuide.com. The San Francisco start-up is a free, socially conscious, ethical-shopping Web site and is adding a new set of pages to its site devoted to food safety on March 16.

Taking steps for healthful eatingBangor Daily News - 3/19/2009.Op-ed by John Jemison – My wife and I were both interested to read the March 4 Bangor Daily News article about the top 10 heart-healthy foods as we sat down for breakfast. Most of the foods recommended – fish with high levels of omega 3 oils, olive oil, beans, berries and even Brussels sprouts – were fairly predictable. But the article left me thinking that there was something missing.

Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White HouseThe New York Times - 3/19/2009.Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of the South Lawn on Friday to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets — the president does not like them — but arugula will make the cut. While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.

Veggie garden coming to White House lawnTreehugger - 3/18/2009.By George Spyros– Food writer Eddie Gehman Kohan has the scoop (or shall we say shovel) on the April issue of Oprah's Magazine interview featuring a cover-story interview with Michelle Obama revealing the exciting plans for a White House vegetable garden. But will this newest shovel-ready project from the Obama administration be an organic undertaking?

Sunday, 1 p.m., 769 Congress Street, Portland Maine. Join Chef Frank Giglio as we learn about and make mead! In this class you will learn the step by step method for preparing your own medicinal mead at home. Each student will start a batch of mead during the class and be able to take it home to ferment and later enjoy. Fee information and registration here: http://www.mofgastore.org/product.sc?productId=270&categoryId=5. Questions? Email alibby@mofga.org.

Tuesday, Maine Civic Center, Augusta. MOFGA offers presentations and discussion groups covering a wide range of sustainable agriculture subjects. Presentations are free and open to the public, and are held in the Washington/York Room, the Piscataquis/Sagadahoc Room, and the Oxford Room. No pre-registration required. MOFGA also has an information exhibit during all three days of the Trades Show. MOFGA members are encouraged to attend the Association's Annual Meeting, which will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 in the Piscataquis/Sagadahoc Room.

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Instructor is David Smith of Sparky's Apiaries. Our beekeeping short course will cover the essentials to get you going in the world of beekeeping. Fee: $50 for MOFGA members; $75 for non-members. More information.